(no subject)

[andrewducker]

When I set the poll yesterday it was because I'd been discussing the fact that I'm quite good at tenderness but terrible at passion. This then started a long discussion about what the difference between the two was. So I thought I'd get a few other opinions.

And besides the endless people quibbling about definitions, some people actually gave some great answers. For which, thank you.

Comments

[taromazzy.livejournal.com]

Who were you discussing that with?
Please, let it be your girlfriend and not your Mother!

[andrewducker]

The dog.

who thinks my tongue isn't long enough.

[taromazzy.livejournal.com]

You practiced on the dog!

Thats why you're "quite good" at tenderness.

[taromazzy.livejournal.com]

(heh heh, it's just like you to get in a semantics discussion when you're trying to explain how you feel. Maybe thats why you're "terrible at passion")

[andrewducker]

Naah, Lilian's as semantically inclined as me.

She's a senior lecturer in Law, for goodness sake :->

[taromazzy.livejournal.com]

You sound incredibly well matched!

[green-amber.livejournal.com]

We do our best :-)

[kpollock.livejournal.com]

I suppose I'd say that I have/do a lot of passion in a wide range of applications (when I have opinions, i have opinions! As someone said, you can have passion about anything, not just a relationship).

I don't really do 'tenderness' - I'm quite harsh at heart, with everyone (particulary) including myself.

Most people misapply both passion and tenderness, including thinking they are some how opposites.

I'd agree that passion (of any sort) is not really an obvious quality in you. You are too aware that everything is shades of grey and life is about ambivalence, compromise and the like to really emotionally engage with an idea or ideas. Maybe it's tinged with some of the leftovers of your long desire to be 'right' - to know 'the truth' - it can be hard to be passionate about something if you think "I might well be wrong".